In the Channel Islands National Park, every day is Earth Day. Dubbed the "North American Galapagos," this volcanic archipelago anchored serenely in California's backyard is the province of elephant seals, nesting seabirds, migrating blue whales, and from January through April a carpet of wildflowers: coreopsis, wild hyacinths, seaside daisies, ice plants and dozens of others.

For nature lovers these are enticing reasons to visit; for others it's simply the solitude.

None of the islands is developed. There are no airports, hotels, restaurants or paved roads. There are no people. Access is strictly monitored by the visitor center across the Santa Barbara Channel in Ventura.

Like the real Galapagos Islands, they're full of endemic species.

Since 1980, five of the eight islands have made up the Channel Islands National Park: Santa Barbara, Anacapa, San Miguel, Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa.

Park volunteer David Begun began going there as a recreational boater and diver in the 1980s. He signed on as a volunteer in 1993 and today leads hikes, tours and daytrips to all five islands. Begun, 48, lives in Westlake, Calif., but spends part of every month year-round somewhere in the park.

There's plenty for volunteers to do: Begun has helped monitor great white sharks and survey sea caves. He's assisted archaeologists at American Indian sites that date back more than 10,000 years and he knows about fossils of dwarf mammoths left behind from the ice ages. He helps with public education and park restoration for more than 2,000 species of plants and animals, of which 145 species are found nowhere else in the world.

For first-time visitors to the Channel Islands, Begun recommends Anacapa, a trio of islets about 12 miles off the Malibu coast.

"It's a rugged seascape with dramatic cliffs, sea caves and offshore rocks," he said. "... And it's the largest seabird breeding site in Southern California. Each year, tens of thousands of seabirds from about a dozen species nest here on the surface and in the caves; Western gulls and brown pelicans in particular."

Anacapa's marine life is no less spectacular: Where the Pacific's cold and warm ocean waters mix, the rich nutrient upwelling feeds lush kelp forests, a playground for harbor seals, sea lions and visiting blue and gray whales. Rock pools are filled with anenomes and sea urchins.

"Diving here is world-class," said Begun. "Kayakers come to paddle in and around the rock gardens and sea caves."

Visitors can take half- and full-day tours to Anacapa to walk independently or take a 1.5-mile guided hike that includes a small museum where visitors learn something of the history of the islands — until the early 1800s, home to the Chumash Indians for at least 10,000 years.

Housed in the island museum is the original crystal-and-brass Fresnel lens from the Anacapa Light.

"(Anacapa) is easy walking and fairly level," Begun said, "... but there are (154) steps from the landing to the visitor center where we start."

In fact, visitors to the Channel Islands walk in the footsteps of some of the earliest people on the continent. Fifty years ago, the oldest remains found in North America — the approximately 13,000-year-old bones of an Arlington Springs Woman — were found on neighboring Santa Rosa Island.

For those who want to go beyond Anacapa, Begun says each island has its own character and personality. "Some are good for hiking, others better for water sports. All of the islands are worth visiting; camping permits are available on each one," he said.

And there is no off-season.

"The Channel Islands are truly a year-round place with their own seasons," Begun said.

"Spring is green and full of flowers with clear skies; you can see up to 100 miles of California coastline in one view. It is often windy, but a spectacular time of year. Late May into June can be gray and foggy, but the western gulls are sitting on eggs, then raising chicks, and this can be seen up close on East Anacapa.

"Early June is peak season for seeing the newly hatched chicks. Late summer and into fall is the calmest time of year and has the warmest ocean temperatures; a great time for kayaking and diving. Winter is crisp and clear, but not too cold. Some of our best walking days are during the winter months."

Anacapa comes from the Chumash word eneepah, meaning mirage island, a fitting description for an island visible to motorists stuck in Mainland traffic on U.S. 101.

"Even with all the natural beauty on offer, it's the contrast of Anacapa's isolation compared with the crowded busy Mainland across the Santa Barbara Channel that is most remarkable to many visitors," Begun said, " ... a peaceful bit of solitude adjacent to the busy congestion of Southern California."